Vegan Caesar Salad With Crisp Chickpeas Recipe (2024)

The best vegan caesar dressing recipe I've ever tasted. I didn't have the nori on hand but next time would add to give the dressing an even "fishier" flavor (I usually make my caesar with tons of anchovies). I will keep this dressing in my fridge constantly. I'm happy to see more and more vegan options on NYT cooking- keep them coming!!!!

So delicious... just made it for a second time in 3 days because I'm CRAVING it. TIP: for the cashews, put them in a small pot/saucepan and add water until they are submerged, bring them to a boil, then turn off the burner and let them sit with the lid on for ~20 minutes. Made the consistency super creamy. It was a little chunkier the other (non-boiled) way, but still great!

What a weird day. Jan. 6, 2021. Made this while watching a coup. Best vegan caesar I've ever had. I know this salad isn't named after Julius Caesar, but wow irony huh? Oh and didn't use nori.

Hi! For vegans with a !NUT ALLERGY! I used tahini paste instead of cashews (can lower the quantity to 1/2 cup, since tahini paste is more dense than cashews) Tasted soooooooooo goodIf you wanna add a coupla spoons of hummus to the dressing, that works too Such a good recipe!!!!!

This is excellent! Helping us stay motivated for our resolution to eat plant-based twice per week. Doubled the chickpeas and added roasted cauliflower one night. Dressing keeps well in the fridge for a week. More vegan recipes please, NYTimes!

Made the dressing as directed (yes, I ran to the store) and it's quite thick! Other nut-based dressings I've tried include a step to soak the nuts and/or some water. So I added, tablespoon by tablespoon, over 1/4 cup of water while blending and it's great. Chickpeas add a fun element to the salad. Added a bit of cayenne when they came out of the oven.

So happy to see more and more plant based (vegan) options on NYT. Keep them coming! This recipe is awesome.

Just made this and my view is the Nutritional yeast is the "cheese" element, so you need that. If you have pickle brine, try substituting that. Miso paste doesn't have a lot of flavor, but adds umami--so maybe a little Tamari instead. And the nori is totally optional (did not use it).

Delicious! I saved the Aquafaba from the canned chickpeas and used this to thin the dressing instead of regular water. My 15 oz can had exactly ¾ cup. Made dressing extra fluffy and creamy. Could’ve used less liquid for a delicious dip, too.

Forget best vegan Caesar dressing- this is the best Caesar dressing I’ve tasted. Ever. Vegan or not. Run, don’t walk, to buy these ingredients and make this twenty minute salad.

I now realize the directions include 3/4 cup of water (although it's not in the ingredients list). Would recommend starting with 1/2 cup then upping from there as you like!

I wanted to to take the "bite" out of the garlic (I love the taste of fresh garlic while I'm eating it, but afterwards, not so much.) So I smashed the cloves, dropped them into the 1/4 cup of olive oil in a microwavable measuring cup, and nuked it for 30 seconds. I fished out the cloves and added those to the blender, and then tossed the bread chunks and chickpeas with the garlic-infused oil. It was very hard not to eat all the croutons before I added them to the salad!

You can also use raw sunflower seeds!

I prepared as instructed - I actually had the ingredients on hand. LOVED and so glad to have the delicious dressing in the fridge. Next time I might add non-dairy parmesan (Follow Your Heart brand is my personal fave) but still wonderful as is. Could also top with a vegan protein to make this all you need for a meal.

I guess I used my caper jar brine in another recipe so I used brine from a pickle jar and some shakes of furikake because I didn't have nori sheets it's tasty

You can substitute tahini for the cashews in a pinch! Delicious!

Use polish mustard instead dijon.

I prefer only using kale so I doubled the kale and left out the romaine. I also recommend using taco seasoning on the chickpeas to give them more flavor. Overall, this was a great recipe and I’ll definitely be doing this again.

To get crunchy chickpeas turn oven to 425 and bake for approximately 30 minutesAdd: pickled onions, feta, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberriesJustin says to add tofu or soy chicken

I prefer this dressing to the non-vegan Caesar version. I had to roast the chickpeas for much longer than the recipe called for, and they still weren't as crispy as I wanted on the inside. Still a delightful salad. I love the mix of kale and romaine for texture. Great note on boiling the cashews first for a creamier texture and making it easier for my cheap & ancient blender to do the work. Fabulous recipe that needed a bit of tweaking on my side.

Good salad. Took way longer than 25 mins to make. Dressing was good but chunky despite soaking the cashews. All around solid.

Yum! I worked with what I had- no cashews or nori- and I replaced a couple things with what I had in the fridge. In place of the water I used chicken broth (I needed to use it up). Instead of caper brine I used dill pickle brine. I topped with torn dill. Without the cashews I think my dressing was ever so slightly too loose but it was fine.

For us single folks, store the dressing in a mason jar. Refrigerated. Make single-serve salads throughout the week. I will often use air-fried tofu in place of the chickpeas. All my friends have said this is the best caesar they've ever tasted.

Delicious but soak the cashews to get a creamier texture.

This was delicious! I used iceberg lettuce with the kale and the crispy/chewy contrast was nice. I think the roasted garbanzo beans and croutons add a lot to the deliciousness so don’t skip them if you can. And finally, if your dressing seems a bit watery at first churn thru the blender, let it rest for 15-30 minutes and the cashews will really soften and emulsify nicely.

Enjoyed a lot, tried half cup tahini instead of cashews as suggested by another commenter. Yum!

I have shared this dressing with about 15 people in a week. I add extra lemon and water to thin it out.

Is there a substitute for nutritional yeast or can I leave this out all together. Strong allergy to yeast.

This is so delicious!! I'm dedicated to the Caesar dressing from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook but was looking for a raw egg-free version to bring to a party. This is insanely good! I like my Caesar dressing heavier on lemon than garlic. I used a little less garlic and might add a teeny bit more lemon next time. I'll definitely be making this again!

How long does this dressing last? I’d love to not sh*t my pants after using the dressing I made a week and a half ago. But that’s just me.